"The year of the Meetings Maximizer. The Hilton Group is predicting another productive year for meetings and corporate events in its latest report on travel trends in 2025. This prediction was made in conjunction with the publication of the study "World's Most Welcoming Events". Conducted in partnership with Jason Dorsey, President of the Center for Generational Kinetics, this document examines the evolution of business events through the prism of the "future". generational renewal. Very soon, in fact, Millennials and Gen Z will represent 75 % of the working population, with Generation Z overtaking the baby-boomers as early as this year. " World's Most Welcoming Events aims to set a new standard for hospitality by supporting our customers with the right ideas and tools to encourage real moments of connection." said Chris Silcock, Hilton's President of Global Brands and Commercial Services.
A new generation of professionals means a new generation of meetings and events, but one thing remains constant: the importance of face-to-face meetings, over and above the rise of virtual offices and videoconferencing. " Human relations have never been so important, and creating a community raises important questions that meeting and event organisers need to anticipate.says Jason Dorsey, a keen traveller himself, who takes part in around sixty events a year. What makes an event welcoming, engaging and impactful? What do different groups of people want before and during a meeting or event? "The first answer is to feel comfortable, which is the case for only half of young professionals with less than five years' experience.
To reassure them - and also the most anxious of seasoned travellers - this study, based on an Ipsos survey of a sample of 1,000 professionals, highlights the need for good communication prior to the event. Receiving the agenda well in advance is a real expectation for 71 % of those questioned, while a preparatory briefing to answer last-minute questions would be appreciated by 58 % of participants. Technology can help organisers in this respect, with the creation of WhatsApp groups or the possibility of sending text messages to ask questions being expected by more than half of them.
Putting participants at ease
Feeling at ease can also take more basic forms. "How should I dress? one of the main questions asked by participantsAnd not just business travellers. Nearly two out of five respondents agree that they don't know what to wear. This is a concern that particularly affects members of generation Z, with 79% saying they were anxious about not having the right dress code for their business event. According to the participants, 67% would find it reassuring if they received advice on what to wear beforehand, possibly with photos.
Another fundamental question, and one that confuses people even before they set off: "what are we going to eat?" Many business travellers, around 30%, fear that they will not like what they are served at a seminar. A more precise definition of business casual or smart casual, the sharing of menus in advance and details of the non-alcoholic drinks on offer are also seen as ways of limiting these concerns.
As for those whose main fear is getting stained, there are many of them. Hilton responds by saying that it is working on menus that avoid messy foodsThis is particularly true of soups, which need to be cut or, worse still, leave that unpleasant bit of salad stuck between your teeth. At the same time, to facilitate exchanges during cocktails while remaining in line with responsible events, the group is choosing sustainable plates with a cut-out for wine glasses.
Finally, feeling at ease also means being taken care of from the moment you arrive, which is particularly important for professionals from generation Z who are less familiar with corporate events. Hilton applied this advice to itself at one of its major annual events in 2024, the ALLC conference. The fifty or so newcomers attending this 3,700-strong gathering were invited to meet before the official start of the conference, in a designated area, to create initial links around a welcome meeting.
Frolleague, they love it
Don't feel alone: 54 % of Generation Z and 48 % of Millennials are, according to this study, more likely to find it difficult to make new contacts at professional events, the reassuring presence of a 'frolleague - a contraction of 'friend' and 'colleague' - or another team member to alleviate this anxiety for 59 % of the participants. And this is despite the fact that, in the end, the study shows that 83 % admit to having made new friends at professional events where they went alone... Ice breakers, team-building activities: these are all essential moments for building relationships, and often fruitful ones too, since 71% of the participants in the survey say that meeting someone at an event has helped them to go further in their professional career.
There is one final finding highlighted by this study: professional events are often too longAccording to nearly 7 out of 10 professionals. More than three-quarters of respondents say they need a break or a moment to themselves, hence the call for less crowded diaries (71% of responses), but also for quiet areas where they can work and check their e-mails.
